Toyota Prius review

The Toyota Prius hybrid is a spacious family car and a green icon

The Toyota Prius
has become the poster boy of the green revolution. It’s the unlikely
transport of choice for film stars who wish to flash their eco
credentials in between trips in their private jets. And it’s now
available as both a regular petrol-electric hybrid and a Plug-in model
that you can charge from a socket to go farther on electric power.

Whichever version you choose, the Prius promises low running costs
and emissions, including none of the lung-damaging NOx that you get
with diesel rivals. Plus it’s a practical choice, with a roomy
interior and a big boot.

Space

Leg and shoulder room are particularly generous, plus the floor
across the rear of the car is completely flat; most family hatchbacks
force a central rear passenger to straddle a large hump.

There’s plenty of space for four tall adults in the Prius, and life
is reasonably comfortable for a fifth person.

Toyota also provides lots of in-car storage, including cupholders
and a deep bin between the front seats. And although the boot is a
little shallow, it’s also long and wide enough to take a large
suitcase and several smaller bags.

Comfort

Fine at speed, but can struggle to soak up bumps in town

When the engine does cut in, it generally does so smoothly and
quietly, although it gets very noisy under hard acceleration.

While the standard version of the car can be driven in town for
short periods on battery power alone, you’ll need the Prius Plug-in to
go farther or faster without the petrol engine; the Plug-in has a
15.5-mile electric range at speeds of up to 51mph.

There’s lots of adjustment for the driver’s seat and steering wheel,
and the Toyota Prius feels solidly planted on the motorway. However,
it can thump over low-speed bumps and potholes, especially if you have
the 17-inch wheels rather than the 15-inch alternatives.

Dashboard layout

Most other functions are controlled through a touchscreen that’s easy
enough to get to grips with, thanks to clear menus and handy shortcut buttons.

Gadget fans will love the huge digital display at the top of the
dashboard, which shows everything from your speed and fuel economy to
what’s going on with the car’s petrol-electric drive system. And in a
neat touch, if you rest your finger on the steering wheel buttons, a
graphic pops up to show you what you’re pressing without you having to
look down.

Unfortunately, the interior is undermined by the materials that it’s
built from. There’s an awful lot of hard grey plastic, which makes it
feel drab and slightly cheap. And the grey velour seats don’t help.
Only the metallic strip that runs through the air vents lifts things a little.

Easy to drive

The Toyota Prius has a two-piece rear window, with a horizontal
dividing bar running right across your field of vision, so it’s just
as well a rear-view camera is standard across the range.

Even with the camera, reverse parking is trickier than it should be
due to over-shoulder blind spots; we’d be tempted to specify sensors
as well, but wouldn’t bother with the optional system that parks the
car for you because this doesn’t always get the manoeuvre right.

More positively, the steering is light and easy, and every model
comes with a CVT automatic gearbox.

Fun to drive

Plenty of family cars are more enjoyable to drive

There’s some entertainment to be had in trying to keep the car
running on electric power for as long as possible, and when you put
your foot down, the petrol engine and electric motor work together to
make the Prius feel reasonably lively. However, you’re unlikely to
find it fun in the traditional sense.

The steering offers virtually zero feedback, so you feel isolated
from the action and it doesn’t inspire confidence on an unfamiliar road.

Reliability

The Prius finished a respectable 36th out of 109 cars in the 2014 JD
Power customer satisfaction survey, and Toyota itself scores well in
reliability surveys, despite a number of high-profile recalls.

It also provides a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty, which beats the
three years of cover that most manufacturers offer, but can’t quite
match Hyundai’s
five-year, unlimited mileage package or the seven-year warranty you
get with Kias.

Fuel economy

Very dependent on the type of driving you do

If you do a lot of motorway miles, you’ll struggle to get anywhere
near the official figures. Instead, it’s people who spend most of
their time in town and that only accelerate very gently that will get
the best from a Prius.

The regular Prius averages more than 70mpg in official Government
tests, while the Plug-in model manages almost 135mpg. However, it’s
important to bear in mind that both cars are more sensitive to driving
style than diesel rivals.

Those who go for the Plug-in will obviously need to plug it in
regularly, too; if you can’t be bothered with this, you’ll be paying a
lot of extra money for little reward.

Affordability

A bit pricey, but it holds its value well and makes a cheap company car

The Prius costs more to buy than diesel rivals such as the VW Golf 1.6 TDI,
and it won’t save you as much in fuel unless you drive it to its
strengths. However, it attracts lower company car tax bills, while
strong resale values keep leasing rates competitive.

Even with a £5000 Government grant, the Prius Plug-in costs
thousands more than the regular Prius. Most people will be better off
with the standard car.

Safety

Five-star safety, even though it's not class leading

This all helped it attain a maximum five-star rating from crash test
organisation Euro NCAP, although the VW Golf and Toyota’s own Auris hybrid
both scored better than the Prius for adult and child occupant protection.

Seven airbags are fitted as standard, plus there’s an electronic
stability control system to help you recover the car if it starts to skid.

Also, while most Golfs come with a system that can automatically
brake the car if it looks like you’re going to run into the car in
front in stop-start traffic, this isn’t even an option on the Prius.